The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!

Friday, January 26, 2018

The primal scream of a big V8 engine at full blast

Courtesy of an email from Gerald F., here's an amazing sound. Someone had the bright idea (?) of converting an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 road racing car into a rally car. You can read more about the project here. Gerald sent links to a few videos of the car in full song during the Rallye du Var in France, last November. The sound is indescribable! Hear and see for yourself.

And here's what a couple of stages looked and sounded like from inside the car. The driver is French rally ace François Delecour.

10 comments:

Not a race pace in the first video. Warmup or familiarization of the course, perhaps. Bit disappointing, actually. I nearly didn't bother with the rest of them.

Rather large car for such a tiny road, in #2+#3. Brought to mind driving an old '71 Mustang around the mountain roads above Santa Cruz/San Jose, CA. That car wasn't happy going around corners, with it's monster motor.

The newer engine designs are more efficient power-wise, but they don't sound as soul stirring as the old iron did.

About 1955, Moto Guzzi ran a 1/2 Liter (500cc) v8 in their GP motorcycle! Performance that wasn't seen again for decades in GP, after they quit for lack of finances.(lots of manufacturers quit racing around '57) Clocked at 180mph in races.

I'm sure it was "Hollywood enhanced" but the sound of the Ferrari V-12s in Frankenheimer's 1964 classic "Grand Prix" was positively orgasmic.

Old NFO and karmas have it right - someone needs to show the Euros how "real V-8s are done." Someday, someone will mass produce a 400-450 inch overhead cam 60 degree V-8 that has a 12K+ redline. Until then, maybe little European V-8s and NASCAR low-rpm pushrod iron are the best we can do.

Just watched the long video. He seems to drive it like a 4cyl car, high revs, and shifting up while approaching a corner for maybe a second. Often shifts into first gear.Makes him look like an amateur driver. Essentially, he should try running one gear higher than he does currently, or the car needs to be geared taller. Making the car dance and dart in a nervous fashion doesn't necessarily translate into the best performance. In a racer, first gear is typically only used to get moving from a dead start, so you aren't stressing the clutch. Vehicle control is normally marginal, which is why it's use is avoided.